The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has raised the alarm over a sharp increase in the use of fake Schengen visa stamps by passengers travelling to Europe, with some Nigerians allegedly absconding during transit in Morocco.
The director, Public Affairs and Consumer Protection of the NCAA, Michael Achimugu, disclosed this while explaining some of the challenges confronting Nigerian travellers transiting through Morocco.
Achimugu said the fake visas were becoming increasingly sophisticated and could be difficult for inexperienced immigration and airline profiling officers to detect before passengers depart Nigeria.
"I found out yesterday about a sharp increase in the volume of fake Schengen visa stamps now being used by passengers to travel to Europe," he said.
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According to him, "A lot of them are discovered at transit airports, and others on arrival in Europe."
He added that "the fake visas are said to be so expertly done, they can be very difficult for profilers without experience to catch before departure."
Achimugu also disclosed that some passengers deliberately book long layovers in Casablanca to qualify for hotel accommodation before allegedly disappearing into the city in an attempt to enter Europe illegally.
"Some of such passengers, during transit in Casablanca, intentionally book long layovers to qualify them for hotel stay in the city. Once they enter the city, they disappear and try to find an illegal way into Europe," he said.
He explained that the development was one of the reasons Morocco had tightened its entry restrictions on Nigerian passengers without visas, even when they were otherwise eligible for hotel accommodation during long transit periods.
"This is one of the reasons why Morocco refuses Nigerians without visas entry into the city, even if they are qualified for hotel stay," Achimugu said.
However, he said the Nigerian government was engaging the Moroccan authorities diplomatically to ensure that genuine travellers were not unduly punished for the actions of a few passengers.
"Despite this report, we have asked the Moroccan Mission, at our meeting, to look at the statistics elsewhere, and make entry into Morocco easier for genuine passengers who are entitled to hotel stay," he said.
Achimugu said Nigeria had pointed to Ethiopia as an example of how transit passengers could be accommodated without necessarily compromising immigration controls.
"Our argument is simple; some other countries, like Ethiopia, do so. A Nigerian due hotel accommodation in Addis does not need a visa so long as they are flying the national carrier, Ethiopian," he explained.
According to him, Ethiopian Airlines provides controlled transportation for such passengers, reducing the possibility of them absconding.
"The airline provides electric buses that ferries passengers to their hotel, and bring them back to the airport for departure," he said.
Achimugu questioned whether the number of Nigerians who had actually absconded during transit in Morocco justified the blanket restrictions imposed on genuine travellers.
"My question was, 'How many such passengers ever absconded?' It is not all Nigerians that want to run away," he said.
He added: "We have way too many hardworking, legitimate people to be treated differently because of a few 'bad eggs'."
He said the Moroccan Mission, however, argued that Morocco's geographical proximity to Europe made it more vulnerable to illegal migration compared with Ethiopia.
"The Mission's argument was that Ethiopia may witness less of such occurrences because, unlike Morocco which is a few kilometres from Europe and, as such, an attractive proposition for illegals, Ethiopia does not have that situation," Achimugu said.
The NCAA, he said, responded by asking the Moroccan authorities to examine the actual data on Nigerians who had absconded during transit.
"Our response was for the Moroccans to check the data of Nigerians who ever absconded while transiting through their country. If the numbers are infinitesimal, then you have the answers you need," he said.
Achimugu said the discussions had opened the door for further engagement, noting that the Royal Air Maroc country manager had indicated that the airline was already making representations to the relevant Moroccan authorities on behalf of Nigerian travellers.
"It was an interesting conversation," he said.
"The Royal Air Maroc country manager says that the airline has already made a case for Nigerians with the relevant authorities in their country, and it is being considered, subject to a number of variables," he added.
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The NCAA official stressed that while the government would continue to use diplomatic channels to make international travel easier for Nigerians, travellers also had a responsibility to avoid actions that could undermine such efforts.
"While the Nigerian government continues to explore diplomatic channels to make international travel easier for Nigerians, it is imperative that citizens also avoid situations that make such efforts difficult or near impossible," he said.
As an immediate alternative, Achimugu said the NCAA had proposed that more accommodation be provided for genuine Nigerian passengers with lengthy layovers who were not permitted to enter Morocco.
"Another alternative we proposed to the airline was to either provide more rooms at the airport hotels, it presently has about 70 rooms, or provide lounge access to Nigerians who have layovers but no entry permit," he said.
The NCAA's position highlights the growing tension between efforts to facilitate legitimate international travel and concerns over irregular migration, as Nigerian authorities seek to persuade transit countries to distinguish between genuine passengers and those attempting to exploit transit arrangements to enter Europe illegally.
